In this day and age, truly well-rounded BASE jumpers are rare. Scotty-Bob travels the globe jumping full time, and not only in a wingsuit. We can’t think of anyone else who is so experienced and so current in every aspect of jumping, from dirty-low slider down aerials to big mountain wingsuit flights, and everything in between!
##Number of jumps, what type
1,000 Skydives 1,250 BASE Jumps
##Time in sport
5 and a half years
##What equipment do you jump?
Old Vector Skydive rig with a Squirrel Epicene 150 main Squirrel Stronglight with Ibex 230 Squirrel Aura wingsuit
##Favorite DZ, favorite place to base jump, and why
Skydive Hollister, the place is rad and I like party buses Le Brevent, Chamonix France,
##Skydiving and base achievements, claims to fame
Opening wingsuit BASE jumps in the United States Being part of a new style of low wing suit BASE jumps in Moab and Arizona Bringing european style terrain flying to the U.S.
I definitely still get scared… if I didn’t, I wouldn’t still be doing this stuff
##What sort of jumping do you most enjoy?
Anytime I get to spend with my friends
##How many new BASE exit points have you opened?
A few 🙂
##Tell me about a particularly memorable one
A wingsuit jump in northern Arizona we call ‘the Spine’. An awesome experience with some homies from all around the country, including my friend Sean Leary (RIP).
##What’s your procedure for checking out a new potential BASE exit?
We spend lots of time pouring over topography maps, not just looking at exits, but access routes and exits as well. Quite often you spend more time researching a new jump than actually jumping it. Once you get to the prospective wall, we use laser range finders to tell us the initial rock drop and slop of the talus. If it looks good, we send it… if it doesn’t, we look somewhere else.
##Have you ever jumped into somewhere you struggled to get out of?
There’s a few jumps here and there that require some pretty serious effort to get out of… I might get in trouble if I say where specifically though! 😉
##How does it feel, standing on top of something no-one’s jumped before, about to christen it?
I try not to get too caught up in the moment over that kind of stuff. One step at a time and enjoy the whole thing when it’s all over.
##What makes you more scared, climbing up [a mast, cliff etc] or jumping off it? Or are you not scared?
Sometimes access can be pretty hairy, and definitely scarier than the jump itself. I definitely still get scared… if I didn’t, I wouldn’t still be doing this stuff 🙂
##When you do something like this 7-way wingsuit base, how important is it to know the other flyers?
Every single pilot in that video is a very close friend. We tend to build some pretty serious bonds flying wingsuits in the mountains. It’s a little different than skydiving, we all share a pretty unique experience and know how truly special it is.
##How did you begin proximity flying?
Pretty much dedicated my life to figuring it out 3 years ago. Ate, slept, and breathed wingsuit flying. I did a lot of high speed canopy flybys on friends to learn speed and angle control. Took those lessons to Europe and did an entire season of horizontal proximity flying (flying next to the wall). Came back the next year and started learning vertical terrain flying. Got hooked on that and kept going… still haven’t stopped.
The Avalanche Line – Wingsuit flight in the Alps
##How do you choose or investigate a new line?
New lines are a lot like new exits, takes a lot of research to figure out if something is possible. Usually if I can maintain a positive energy flight (ie, I’m always diving harder each checkpoint I reach), I’ll keep exploring. If I’m using a lot of energy to get somewhere, I usually won’t even try to fly the line. If you’re struggling to get somewhere on the mountain, it’s usually a good idea to stay away from stuff and not get too close.
##Why do you love the sport?
As my friend Alex said, “it’s hard not to love this shit, we’re accomplishing things that humans have only dreamed about in the past”. Being a part of this sport right now is gonna make me smile till I’m 80 years old and decrepit. The people I meet are some of the most interesting people in the world, and we get to fly off mountains together…it’s a good life 🙂
##Have you ever hurt yourself in base; if so, what did you learn?
I had a pretty bad injury early, broke my back and my leg. Learned to never take any jump lightly and realize that even the easiest jumps can kill me.
##Favorite Base moment
Arizona BASE boogie 2012…the party was unreal, if you weren’t there, you wouldn’t understand
##What else do you do for fun?
Bowling, long walks on the beach, sunsets… the usual
##Describe yourself in 5 words or less
Don’t take yourself too seriously
##Who are your mentors and why?
Mario Richard, Sean Leary, Chris ‘Douggs’ McDougall, and Justin Miller
##What advice do you have for newcomers?
Have fun every jump. Fun is the biggest motivator for progression.
November Skies: American BASE Jumping
##What’s the biggest single thing we could do to reduce base deaths?
Be honest with ourselves and our friends with our abilities and experience
##What’s next for you, plans for the year?
Keep having fun, more Europe time… the Alps still haven’t gotten boring yet 🙂
##Where do you think wingsuit base is heading next?
We’re literally turning into birds. We’re able to jump 100 meter drops and flying 2.5:1 terrain safely. There is so much cool stuff that hasn’t been done yet, I’m pumped to see what the next 5 years will bring.
The Leftovers by Scotty-Bob Morgan
Scotty-Bob opens a new exit point
